FORE! New driving range now open in Wrightstown

Rich Palzewic

Staff

August 10, 2026

WRIGHTSTOWN – Former De Pere High School and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) basketball standout Heather Golden is taking her talents in a new direction – to the driving range.

A lifelong love of golf and a search for “something more” led Golden and her husband, Wayne Walker, to open Range TwentyFORE in the Village of Wrightstown.

Range TwentyFORE (650 County Road U), she said, reinvents the driving range experience with 15 bays powered by Toptracer Range – the world’s leading ball-tracing technology.

“Whether you’re here to sharpen your swing or just have fun, it’s golf reimagined for everyone,” she said.

Golden – a member of De Pere’s 2005 WIAA Division 1 state championship squad and Phoenix player from 2006-11 – said when people asked where she saw herself in five years, operating something like Range TwentyFORE was not on the list. 

“I’m here now and excited about it,” she said. “I love to golf, but depending on what your definition of being a golfer is, some days I consider myself a golfer, and then other days I’m like, ‘What in the world am I doing out here?’ All in all, I would say I’m a golfer, yes.”

Opening to the public in mid-July, Golden said the response has thus far been “overwhelmingly” positive.

“I hope people aren’t just blowing smoke when they talk to me, but from my understanding, when I ask people how their experience was, they say it was really good and that they’ll be back,” she said. “I appreciate the sentiments coming from the community once they visit. We’re still working on some things we need to hash out, but overall, I think we are off to a really good start.”

More on the space

Golden said Range TwentyFORE’s concept is a bit “foreign” to the Northeast Wisconsin area.

While many driving ranges and simulator facilities are either fully outdoors or rely solely on indoor technology, Range TwentyFORE combines – or will soon – both concepts in one facility. 

“All of our bays currently installed are covered,” she said. “We have 10 on the first level  – those bays are the ones where you get on our mats and hit out into the open field ahead of you. The other five are upstairs in more of a suite situation. Those are more individualized rooms where we have garage doors guests can hit out of.”

Golden said each bay is equipped with its own Toptracer technology.

“Each bay comes equipped with its own base, like a TV or a computer monitor that’s mounted,” she said. “As soon as the golfer hits a ball, they can see the trace of their own individual ball. They can play some games as well with it. Each bay has its own individual monitor.”

Phase two of Range TwentyFORE, coming later this fall/early winter, Golden said, will be adding three indoor hitting bays for colder/warmer weather where patrons are looking for better temperature control.

“Those will be like the traditional indoor simulators you see, where people hit into a screen,” she said.

Golden said the facility offers snacks, but they decided against adding a full kitchen and the additional responsibilities that come with it. 

“We offer a selection of drinks – beer, seltzer, ciders, soda, water, all that kind of stuff in a can,” she said.

Golden said cans are the choice over bottles for a special reason.

“We are going to collect as many pop-tops from the cans as possible,” she said. “Unfortunately, I lost a cousin a few years back to bone cancer. He and my family spent a lot of time in the Milwaukee area at the Ronald McDonald House. It’s an opportunity to give back to them, so we’re collecting as many pop-tops as possible and donating those in memory of my cousin.”

Golden said Range TwentyFORE has collection bins throughout the facility where customers can drop off pop tops from their canned beverages before recycling the cans. 

“Drop in your tab and know you just did a little good while having a lot of fun,” she said.

Golden said the five upstairs suites each have their own theme, named after some of the most famous golfers the sport has ever seen:

• Queen’s Quarters – a nod to some of the best lady golfers to come through the LPGA
• Hogan’s Hangout – named after nine-time major champion Ben Hogan
• Tiger Den – named after 15-time major champion Tiger Woods
• Jack of Clubs – in honor of Jack Nicklaus, an 18-time major champion (first all-time)
• King’s Corner – a nod to Arnold Palmer, a seven-time major champion

“It’s a fun way to create a different experience for each of the rooms upstairs and keep it lighthearted and fun,” she said. “Those spaces are for people to sit and hang out. Those have a little bit more comfortable scenes, with couches, TVs, etc. People can watch golf, a [Green Bay] Packers game or maybe March Madness [basketball] while they are hitting for a few hours. It’s an opportunity to blend two worlds.”

A special greeter

A self-described lover of golden retrievers, Golden said her dog, Caddie, will soon become a familiar face at Range TwentyFORE as a greeter.

“She’s working on it,” she laughed. “We’re working on her manners to get her to that point. She just turned a year old, so she’s a little young yet and a bit of a jumper. Once we get that under control and have her properly greet individuals, she’ll be our range rover. She’ll be roaming around the facility itself.”

A location par for the course

Finding the “perfect” location for Range TwentyFORE, Golden said, was not an easy process. 

The ideal site, she said, required a narrower, deeper parcel of land.

After conversations with several area municipalities, Golden said Wrightstown “came a-calling.”

“We were searching in the general Green Bay area,” she said. “There were perhaps some other opportunities, but it really came down to the fact that Wrightstown was very open and excited to work with us from the get-go – they were very welcoming.”

In her initial conversations with the village, Golden said officials told her they felt they had “the perfect piece of land.”

“We scoped it out, and it was indeed a great spot,” she said. “It felt like the right fit.”

Golden said her and Wayne’s vision of opening Range TwentyFORE goes back more than two years.

While working with Toptracer Range, the same technology used at the facility, she said she became “obsessed” with its possibilities. 

“I fell in love with it, so I wanted to find a way to stay close to it,” she said. “I brainstormed and put together a business plan, jotting ideas down and seeing what could come of it. At that time, I was fully expecting it to just stay a pipe dream, but when I approached my husband about it, he bought in from the get-go and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

From there, Golden said they continued building on the idea, and things snowballed from there.

“We made some connections with the right people and got to talking, and then one thing led to another,” she said. “It’s been a little more than two years in the making, but it’s funny how it came about. I also still work for Toptracer Range as their global training manager. It’s nice being able to have an office right at Range TwentyFORE.”

Story behind the name

Golden said the No. 24 has carried special meaning throughout her life, representing memorable moments and milestones along the way.

She said she proudly wore the number as a member of the De Pere Redbirds girls’ basketball team and later during her Division I college basketball career with the Green Bay Phoenix.

“The name ‘Range TwentyFORE’ is a heartfelt tribute to the No. 24 – a thread that has woven through my life story, marking moments of triumph, love and perseverance,” she said. “With the launch of Range TwentyFORE, I feel it’s only fitting that the name reflects the significance of the No. 24.”

Golden said Range TwentyFORE’s rallying cry, “Stay Golfen!” blends her love of golf with a nod to her last name through a playful take on “Stay Golden.”

“It celebrates my love of golf and golden retrievers – two passions that bring joy, energy and connection to everything we do,” she said. “With Range TwentyFORE, where golf has no offseason, ‘Stay Golfen!’ is a rallying cry to keep swinging, keep smiling and keep the good times rolling all year long.”

For more information on Range TwentyFORE, head to Facebook or rangetwentyfore.com.